Eagle Eye: Niceville's Dawson wins Female Swimmer of the Year

Thursday

Dec 22, 2016 at 5:33 PMDec 22, 2016 at 8:02 PM

By Josh Hyber | @JoshHyberNWFDN | jhyber@nwfdailynews.com

It was the first race out of 24 on an early November day at Sailfish Splashpark Aquatic Center in Stuart, and Niceville’s Sydney Dawson and Creekside’s Eleanor Pollitt dove into the pool with their respective 200-yard medley relay teams locked in a virtual dead heat.

“There’s no way I’m losing this,” Dawson thought to herself.

Not with the state title on the line. Not her senior year. Not with her Eagles' teammates, standing 50 yards away, counting on her.

“We were supposed to win gold. We were going to win gold,” Dawson said.

She and her team did, by three-hundredths of a second.

Dawson didn’t even need to look over to see her teams’ time of 1:47.17. Her relay teammates — Tatum Hackler, Stephanie Markwardt and Peyton Baranowski — were already screaming in a state-championship winning celebration. The relay victory kickstarted a day in which Dawson placed fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:43.56), eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (52.93) and swam the anchor leg of a fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay finisher.

For her success this season, Dawson has won Daily News Female Swimmer of the Year.

“I met Sydney when she was 8 years old and even then she had a very determined look,” Eagles coach Kathy Ritacco said. “She was just all about business. Watching her grow, I’ve seen the same look over and over and over. She steps up every time she goes into a competition. She’s had a drive since eighth grade about going out and breaking records. She’s not afraid of racing anyone.”

But this season wasn’t always easy for Dawson. Right before the district meet she became “really sick” and didn’t eat much for three days. Her body didn't feel right. She went to a doctor and got antibiotics and steroid shots.

At the district meet she still won all the events she completed in: 200-yard freestyle (2:00.39), 100-yard freestyle (55.37), 200-yard medley relay (1:52.10) and 200-yard freestyle relay (1:43.67). Even though she missed some practice time, at regionals she felt a bit better and finished fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.68), seventh in the 100-yard freestyle (53.99), second in the 200-yard freestyle relay and first in the 200-yard medley relay.

By the state meet she was back to 100 percent.

“It was a roller coaster this year,” Dawson said. “I guess it turned out pretty well, though. We won.”

On Nov. 10, Dawson committed to swim collegiately for the University of Alabama, a school that she said checked off several boxes: a major D-I school people recognize as a power program and a school she felt comfortable with her future coaches and teammates.

Dawson began swimming at 6 years old and fell in love with it, she admits, because she didn’t have much else to do and she didn't like how much she sweated playing other sports. She had her parents’ natural talent: her dad Greg played football and baseball. Her brother Nick swam for a year because he was cross-training for football.

This season, Dawson became a leader for the Eagles.

At a Coast Aquatics club team meet in October, when a Niceville freshman teammate choked on water in the middle of a race, Dawson took him aside and reassured him that he would be OK and that at one point or another it happens to every swimmer, even Dawson.

“He was a trooper. He finished the race,” Dawson said. “It makes me feel good to try to influence the freshmen and making them feel like they should continue even if it’s hard. If I can make someone feel better about swimming, I try to do that.”

In return, the swimmer — whose mom works at Lula J. Edge Elementary with Dawson’s mom — decorated her classroom door with a note that said, “Congratulations, Sydney.”

At the Eagles’ season-ending team banquet, Dawson gave him her Niceville “legacy,” an Eagles tradition.

Before every race, Dawson tries to clear her mind. If she thinks too much about technique and pace she tends to not swim as well as she can. She focuses on just swimming, having a good time and, in her words, “of course, swimming fast.”

This year she did, more so than any female swimmer in the area.

Girls’ First Team

Katie Balent, Fort Walton Beach: The sophomore finished sixth in the 100-yard butterfly (57.85) and eighth (2:14.55) in the 200-yard IM at the state meet. She also swam on the Vikings’ fourth-place state finisher in the 200-yard medley relay (1:51.87) and seventh-place finisher in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:43.03).

Peyton Baranowski, Niceville: The senior finished fourth in the 200IM at the district meet and ninth in the 100-yard fly at districts. She also swam on the Eagles’ state champion 200-yard medley relay (1:47.17, a county record) and the fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay teams.

Kaylee Bartlett, Fort Walton Beach: The sophomore swam the first leg of the Vikings’ 400-yard freestyle relay seventh-place finisher at the state meet. She finished eighth in the 100-yard freestyle and ninth in the 50-yard freestyle at the regional meet. She swam both events at the state meet.

Tatum Hackler, Niceville: The senior finished fourth in the 100-yard backstroke (57.40) and tied for seventh in the 100-yard butterfly (58.09) at the state meet. The Virginia Tech commit also swam the first leg of the Eagles’ state champion 200-yard medley relay finisher (1:47.17, a county record) and the fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay finisher.

Sydney Kale, Fort Walton Beach: The freshman swam the third leg of the Vikings’ fourth-place state finisher in the 200-yard medley relay (1:51.87). She finished ninth in the 200-yard IM and finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly — an event she swam at the state meet — at regionals.

Caylee Laird, Fort Walton Beach: Laird was on the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:48.28) that qualified for the state meet.

Stefanie Markwardt, Niceville: The sophomore swam the second leg of the Eagles’ state champion 200-yard medley relay (1:47.17, a county record) and fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay. She placed sixth in regionals in the 50 free and 100 breast, both of which she swam in the state meet. She also won the 50-yard freestyle at districts.

Tori Orcutt, Fort Walton Beach: The freshman swam the second leg of both the Vikings’ fourth-place state finisher in the 200-yard medley relay (1:51.87) and seventh-place finisher in the 400-yard freestyle relay. She finished third in the 200-yard IM at regionals, an event she swam at the state meet.

Ashley Reynolds, Choctaw: The junior won the 50-yard freestyle (25.07) and finished second (1:09.66) in the 100 breast at the regional meet, qualifying her for both events at the state meet.

Lucy Rudman, Fort Walton Beach: The junior was on the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:44.08) that qualified for the state meet.

Mackenzie Shinnick, Niceville: The senior was on the 200-yard freestyle relay that qualified for the state meet.

Kalin Tang, Fort Walton Beach: The senior swam on the Vikings’ fourth-place state finisher in the 200-yard medley relay (1:51.87) and seventh-place finisher in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:43.03). She also swam the 100 breast and the 100 back at the state meet.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.